Allstate Sugar Bowl to Sponsor CYO High School Basketball Tournament Again in 2009

Monday, November 23, 2009

For the second straight year, the Allstate Sugar Bowl will sponsor the Allstate Sugar Bowl CYO Basketball Tournament. The 2009 event will run from Dec. 2-5 and will be played at four local high schools: Brother Martin, Jesuit, Rummel and Shaw. This year marks the 56th year of the tournament.

"We are grateful for the support of the Allstate Sugar Bowl again this year," said CYO Director John Smestad. "This partnership with the CYO brings together two great athletic traditions in New Orleans, and we look forward to another opportunity to showcase the best in high school basketball."

"Over the past 75 years the Allstate Sugar Bowl has had an extensive participation in high school athletics," said Allstate Sugar Bowl President Richard R. Smith. "We appreciate immensely the mentoring of our student-athletes by their dedicated high school coaches. I'm sure these young men will excel on the court in the tradition of the legendary players who made this tournament into the crown jewel of New Orleans high school basketball."

In addition to the basketball action, at halftime of the championship game (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Jesuit High School), the late Johnny Altobello will be honored. Altobello won the first seven CYO tournaments as the coach at DeLaSalle and St. Aloysius (now Brother Martin). The championship trophy for the CYO Tournament will now bear his name. His family and representatives from DeLaSalle and Brother Martin will be on hand for that half-time presentation.

Last year's event featured 16 boys' high school teams playing in 25 games. O. Perry Walker registered a 65-59 win over Edna Karr to win the 2008 Championship. O.P. Walker's Colby Carr was named the MVP of the event, which saw the Chargers outscore their first three opponents by 33 points before holding off Karr in the tight final.